Rotary coupon placer



Feb. 7, 1967 P. L. ANDERSON ROTARY COUPON PLACER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 11, 1964 INVENTOR.

BY PAUL L. ##Dzksow Feb. 7, 1967 P. L. ANDERSON ROTARY COUPON PLACER 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 11, 1964 FILE. 4

INVENTOR. PAUL A. AMDERso/v Feb. 7, 1967 P, D N 3,302,946

ROTARY COUPON PLACER.

Filed Sept. 11, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 7 E my INVENTOR. P404 A. 4/!052so Arrow/H5 United States Patent Ofiice 3.3%,946 Patented Feb. 7, 19673,302,946 ROTARY COUPON PLACER Paul L. Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn.,assignor to Thiele Engineering Company, a corporation of Minnesota FiledSept. 11, 1964. Ser. No. 395,673 Claims. (Cl. 271-29) The presentinvention has relation to a rotary coupon placer and more particularlyto a machine which will take individual coupons or slips of paper from asupply source and deposit the individual coupons into an open cartonpassing in proximity to the machine.

In the field of automatic packaging, it has long been a problem to placeindividual coupons, which may be part of promotional schemes by themanufacturer of the product or a redemption coupon of some type, intocartons as rapidly as the cartons or packages themselves can be filled.

Many of the coupons are extremely light in weight and this makes themdifficult to handle. The primary problem is to place only one coupon ineach package. Further, synchronization of the packages, which areusually filled or packed in an automatic process, is difiicult. Handplacing the coupons into the packages is expensive.

In order to overcome the previous difficulties involved in placingindividual coupons into a package on an assembly line, the machine ofthe present invention was advanced.

The machine, as shown, includes a rotating member carrying at least onesuction cup which is moved into position contiguous with the end couponof a supply of coupons in a small hopper. Vacuum is applied to the cupand the cup picks the coupon out of the supply hopper, and as themachine continues to rotate, this coupon is carried into position abovean opened package. In this proper position above the open package thevacuum to the cup holding the coupon is released and the coupon isdropped into the package.

The vacuum cups are made so that they will exert a force in the endcoupon substantially axially with the hopper to insure that only onecoupon is removed at a time, and that a coupon is removed every time.

The device is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and is extremelyaccurate. Further, the unit is fast and can place coupons in packages ata speed equal to or greater than that of any packaging machine.

It is an object of the present invention to present a coupon placerwhich can be used for placing individual coupons into open packagescoming from an assembly line packaging or filling operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to present a rotarycoupon placer which can be operated at high speed.

It is a still further object of the present invention to present arotary coupon placer which utilizes a vacuum force for removing couponsfrom a supply hopper and releases the vacuum when the coupon is in itsproper position for deposition into an open carton.

Other objects are inherent in this specification and will be apparent asthe description proceeds.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a rotary coupon placer madeaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged front elevational view of the device ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken as on line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken as on line 44 in FIG. 3 and showing a suction cupin place on an end coupon in a coupon hopper;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken as on line 55 in FIG. 2;

2 FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken as on line 66 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken as on line 77 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 shown just before thesuction cup contacts a coupon in a hopper.

Referring to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, arotary coupon placing machine illustrated generally at 10, includes abase member 11 for mounting the various components. The base 11 carriesa pair of spaced apart side plates 12, 12 which are fixedly attached asat 13 to the base member 11. In addition, the base member 11 supports acoupon supply hopper 14 which is supported with a strap 17 at the rearportions thereof and is supported on a pair of cross members 15, 15which are comprised as shafts extending between the side plates 12, 12.Suitable mounting blocks 16 are utilized for mounting the front orforward portion of the hopper 14 onto the cross shafts 15.

A main drive shaftassembly 20 is rotatably mounted on suitable bearings21, 21 attached to the side plates 12, 12. The shaft assembly 20 extendsbetween the side plates. The shaft assembly 20 includes a drive shaft 22which is driven through a sprocket 23 and chain 24 from a motor 25 whichhas a drive sprocket 26 on the output shaft thereof. The motor 25 ismounted onto the base 11. drivably mounted onto shaft 22 inlongitudinally spaced locations and positioned between the side plates12, 12. The spider members, as shown, have three outwardly extendinglegs 30. The number of legs could, of course be increased or decreasedas desired.

At the outer ends of each of the legs 30 of the spiders 27 (the legs ofthe spiders are spaced longitudinally on shaft 22) a separate tubularshaft 31, 32 and 33, respectively is rotatably mounted. The shafts areall radially spaced from the center of rotation of shaft 22 an equalamount. Each of the tubular shafts 31, 32 and 33 carries a separateradially extending tube 34. The tubes 34 are mounted on suitable collars35 so that each tube 34 is open to the interior of the shaft on which itis mounted and is sealed from the atmosphere. At the outer end of eachof the tubes 34 there is a suction cup 36 mounted. Each cup 36 has anopen center portion which opens to the interior of the tube 34 on whichit is mounted. The cups 36 are made of a suitable flexible material,such as a soft rubber or a suitable plastic material.

The tubes 34, collars 35 and cups 36 together make a suction cupassembly 37.

As can perhaps best be seen in FIG. 2, three sprockets 40, 41 and 42,respectively are mounted onto the side plate 12 adjacent the drivesprocket 23. The sprockets 40, 41 and 42 have suitable hearings in theircenters which ride on the shaft 22 and elongated bolts 43 are passedthrough the side plate 12 and through each of the sprockets to hold thesprockets from rotating. The sprockets are thus held immobile and theshaft 22 will rotate inside the sprockets on the provided bearings.These sprockets are relatively large, as can perhaps be seen in FIG. 1.The sprocket has a chain 44 mounted thereon which extends upwardly andis mounted over a sprocket 45 which in turn is drivably mounted onto theshaft 31 which is rotatably mounted at the outer ends of one pair of thelegs 30 of the spiders 27. The sprocket 41 has a chain 46 mountedthereon which extends upwardly and is mounted over a sprocket 47 which,in turn, is drivably mounted onto the outer end of tubular shaft 32.Sprocket 42 has a chain 50 mounted thereon and which extends outwardlyand is mounted over a sprocket 51 which is turn is drivably mounted ontothe first end of tubular shaft 33.

Thus, it can be seen that with the chain connections In addition, a pairof spider members 27, 27 are between the sprockets 40, 41 and 42,respectively and the sprockets on the tubular shafts at the outer endsof the spiders, whenever the main shaft 22 is rotated the spiders willrotate and this in turn will cause the tubular shafts to rotate withrespect to the spiders at the same time that they are rotating aroundthe main shaft 22. Thus the tubular shafts are similar to planets whichrotate about their own axis as they revolve around the axis of the mainshaft.

The stationary sprockets 40, 41 and 42 and their chain drives will causethe rotation of the tubular shafts. The sprockets on the tubular shaftsmesh with their chains, which stand still. The tubular shafts arerotated about their axes at the same time they revolve.

The stationary sprockets 40, 41 and 42 are three times as big as thesprockets 45, 47 and 51. Thus for each revolution of the main shaft 22the tubular shafts at the outer ends of the spiders will have rotatedthree revolutions.

It should be noted that the ends of the tubular shafts 31, 32 and 33adjacent the sprockets are plugged.

At the opposite ends of the tubular shafts 31, 32 and 33 from theirattached sprockets, there are inserted suitable threaded connections 53which seal in airtight relationship and open into the interior of thetubular shafts. Also, the rotary air carrying coupling 54 is in turnmounted on each of the threaded connections 53. The rotary air carriercouplings are commercially available and are designed so that they willtransmit air pressure or vacuum from one side of the coupling to theother and will permit the threaded connections 53 to rotate while theconnections 55 at the opposite ends of the coupling 54 remainstationary. These connections are well-known in the art.

The connections 55 at the outer ends of the rotary couplings 54 areconnected through separate suitable conduits 56 to a first side 57 of arotary vacuum carrying valve assembly 60. The rotary vacuum carryingvalve assembly is perhaps best seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The first sideportion 57 is drivably mounted onto the shaft 22 and rotates with theshaft. In this way the conduits 56 remain stationary as the shaft 22rotates. Of course, because the shafts 31, 32 and 33 *act as planetsaround the center of shaft 22 and rotate independently of the shaft 22and with respect to the shaft, the rotary couplings 54 previouslyexplained are necessary.

The vacuum valve assembly 60 also includes a stationary member orsection 61 which is rotatably mounted with respect to the shaft 22 onsuitable bushings and is held from rotating by using a suitable linkconnected to the member and to the adjacent side plate 12. The link 62is shown in FIG. 2. The link is designed so that it will permit thestationary member 61 to move axially on the shaft but will not permit itto rotate.

The stationary portion 61 of the vacuum valve assembly is urged towardthe portion 57 by a spring 63 which acts between a set collar 64fastened to shaft 22 and a thrust washer 65 riding against an outersurface of the section 61. The stationary member is made of a suitablematerial having low friction properties, for example a nylon material,and will slide against the rotating member 57.

As shown, the rotating member 57, which rotates with shaft 22, has threeaxially extending cylindrical holes or vacuum carrying ports 66 providedtherethrough. The

ports 66 are spaced radially outwardly from the shaft axis and arespaced 120 apart on the same radius. Each of the conduits 56 isconnected into a separate one of the ports 66, respectively.

The stationary valve member 61 is provided with an ancuate slot shapedvacuum carrying port 67 which opens to the surface 70 of the member 61,which in turn mates with the surface 71 of the member 57. The slotshaped port 67 has enclosed ends and is defined only partially throughthe member 61. The slot shaped port 67 is open through a suitableconduit 72 to a source of vacuum 73. Further, the member 61 is providedwith an axially extending hole 74 which merely passes through the member61 and opens into the atmosphere.

The surfaces 70 and 71 mate together tightly enough under the urging ofspring 63 so that the slot shaped port 67 will carry a vacuum.

Thus when any one'of the cylindrical ports 66 in the rotating member 57is aligned with the slot shaped vacuum port 67 (the opening and slot areon the same radius) vacuum is introduced into the corresponding conduit56 and thus into the tubular shaft connected to that particular conduit.The vacuum is carried through the tubular shaft into the suction cupassembly 37 and to the suction cup 36. When the rotating member isrotated further, this opening or port 66 will become aligned withopening 74, and there will no longer be vacuum in this conduit and cup.For the rest of the revolution this opening 66 is under atmospherepressure and is merely sealed off against the surface 70 of thestationary member. The cycle is identical for each of the openings 66and the attached conduits.

The hopper 14 contains a plurality of coupons 76 which are urged bygravity toward the end adjacent the suction cup mechanism and which havesuitable adjustable lugs 77 at the forward end thereof. The lugs 77 canbe adjusted to hold the coupons 76 in place and prevent them fromsliding out the end of the hopper 14. However, the coupons are flexibleand can be pulled out past the lugs 77 in direction parallel to thefloor of the hopper.

When the unit is to be used, the coupons 76 are placed lar shaft 31 isopen to the vacuum slot 67 in the stationary member 61 of the vacuumvalve. The opening 66 is at the first end of the slot. Vacuum is thusintroduced through the conduit 56, the center of shaft 31, the center oftube 34 to the suction cup 36 against the coupon. The end coupon 76 issucked against the suction cup and the end coupon is held securely.

With the motor 26 running, the shaft 22 will be rotating in direction asindicated by arrow 80 in FIGS. 1

and 3. This immediately will start to move the shaft 31 away from thehopper 14. Also, because the shaft 31 is connected through sprockets 45and chain 44 to the sprocket 40, which is stationary, the shaft 31 andits connected tube 34 and suction cup 36 will commense to rotate indirection as indicated by arrow 81 about the axis of shaft 31. As theshaft 22 is rotated further in direction as indicated by arrow 80 theshaft 31 will rotate in direction as indicated by arrow 81 independentlyof shaft 22 (the other shafts 32 and 33 will also be rotating). Threestages of the positioning of the suction cup 36 on shaft 31 as the shaft31 rotates are shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3.

The shaft 31 will make one complete 360 revolution between the positionwith the suction cup against the end coupon in hopper 14 and itsposition wherein the suction cup extends downward as shown at 82. Duringthe majority of the time that the shaft 31 is moving from its positionagainst the hopper 14 to position as shown at 82 the opening 66 forshaft 31 is in communi cation with the slot67 and therefore the interiorof the shaft 31 and its suction cup are under a vacuum. However, justbefore the shaft 31 reaches its position wherein it will be positionedas shown at 82, the opening 66 will seal against a bridge portion 83 onthe stationary member 61. The coupon will still be held because thesuction cup 36 will be maintained under vacuum inasmuch as the twosurfaces 71 and 70 will seal. However when the coupon comes to positionas shown in 82 it will be over an open package 85. The opening 66 whichopens to the interior of the tube in position 82 will then connect tothe atmosphere hole 74 in the valve member 61 and the vacuum on this cupwill be dropped. This will permit the coupon 76 in this position to dropdownwardly under the force of gravity and into the package 85 positionedbelow.

The process is continuous as long as the shaft 22 is rotating. Vacuum isintroduced to each tubular shaft just prior to the time its associatedsuction cup engages the forward coupon in the hopper 14 and is releasedat the time it is positioned above the package 85 so that the coupon canbe properly deposited into the package.

By having counter rotating planet shafts carrying the suction cup and aninclined hopper, it can be seen that the suction cups will be movingtoward the end coupons in the hopper just before the cup contacts thecoupon (see FIG. 8). The cups have an overcenter--action and clear allthe mechanism until the axis of the coupons in the hopper, the axis ofthe tube 34, the axis of the particular tubular shaft adjacent thecoupons (as shown in FIG. 1 shaft 31) and the axis of shaft 22 all liein a common plane. The suction cups have a compound motion which willmake the suction cup engage the coupon in substantially axial directionwith respect to the coupons in the hopper and, also, as the cup movesaway from the hopper it will be moving in an axial direction. This makesthe picking off of individual coupons a relatively simple job. See theposition 86 of the cup just before it contacts the coupon in the hopperin FIG. 8.

Once the coupons have been placed in the package 85 the suction cup willbe empty until it again reaches the hopper.

The over center action of the suction cups permits the cups to clear thebrackets holding the coupons in place and then move toward the endcoupon. Also the air flow into the suction cup will cause the coupon tomove toward the cup. The cups can thus have a slight variation inclearance and still remove the coupon satisfactorily.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary article placing machine comprising a main frame, an articlehopper mounted on said main frame, bias means urging said articles insaid hopper towards a first end thereof, a shaft rotatably mounted onsaid frame, a spider drivably mounted on said shaft, a plurality oftubular planet shafts rotatably mounted on said spider about separateaxes spaced outwardly from the axis of rotation of said spider, saidplanet shafts all being spaced outwardly from the axis of said spiderthe same amount, a separate suction cup assembly mounted on each of saidplanet shafts, said suction cup assemblies comprising a tubular memberopen to the interior of said planet shafts and a suction cup positionedat the outer ends of said tubular members, means to rotate said planetshafts with respect to said spider whenever the spider is rotated aboutits axis, including a plurality of first sprockets mounted coaxial withsaid main shaft, and held stationary on said main frame, the number ofsaid first sprockets corresponding to the number of planet shafts onsaid machine, a separate second sprocket drivably mounted on each ofsaid planet shafts, said second sprockets each being aligned with one ofsaid first sprockets, and a separate chain drivably connecting each ofthe first sprockets to its aligning second sprocket, a separate conduitconnected to the interior of each of said planet shafts, a rotary vacuumvalve comprising a rotating member mounted on and rotating with saidmain shaft, said conduits each being open to separate provided ports insaid rotary member, said valve further including a stationary membermounted coaxially with said rotating member and held from rotation withrespect to said main frame, portions of said rotary member and saidstationary member engaging each other in sliding sealing relationship,said stationary member having a slot partially defined therein and opento a source of vacuum, said stationary member further being providedwith a separate opening open to atmosphere, means to rotate said mainshaft, each of said suction cups being positioned to engage an endarticle in said hopper once during each revolution of said main shaft,said slot being positioned so as to sequentially communicate with saidports and connect the interior of each suction cup to the vacuum sourcewhen each cup contacts an end article and to maintain the vacuum on eachsuction cup for a predetermined number of degrees of rotation of saidspider, each of said ports then in turn being in communication with saidatmosphere opening in said stationary member.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said spider has threeplanetary shafts thereon and said planetary shafts rotate threerevolutions for each revolution of said spider.

3. The combination as specified in claim 2 wherein said planetary shaftsrotate in opposite rotational direction from the main shaft.

4. The combination as specified in claim 2 wherein said hopper for saidcoupons is inclined upwardly in direction away from said spider andwhenever a suction cup on said spider contacts an end coupon in saidhopper the axis of said suction cup, the axis of the planet shaft towhich it is attached, and the axis of said main shaft all lie in acommon plane.

5. The combination as specified in claim 4 wherein each of said suctioncups is subjected to vacuum for substantially of rotation subsequent toreceiving a coupon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 262,478 8/1882Richardson 74-660 X 2,304,146 12/1942 Brinton 221-211 X 2,395,497 2/1946Nordquist 271-29 2,611,299 9/1952 Rose et al. 271-27 X 2,810,595 10/1957Holmen 271-27 2,855,113 10/1958 Roske 221-211 X 2,915,308 12/1959 Matzen271-5 3,041,068 6/1962 Schalteggar 271-29 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., PrimaryExaminer.

A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiner.

1. A ROTARY ARTICLE PLACING MACHINE COMPRISING A MAIN FRAME, AN ARTICLEHOPPER MOUNTED ON SAID MAIN FRAME, BIAS MEANS URGING SAID ARTICLES INSAID HOPPER TOWARDS A FIRST END THEREOF, A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ONSAID FRAME, A SPIDER DRIVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, A PLURALITY OFTUBULAR PLANET SHAFTS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SPIDER ABOUT SEPARATEAXES SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SPIDER, SAIDPLANET SHAFTS ALL BEING SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIS OF SAID SPIDERTHE SAME AMOUNT, A SEPARATE SUCTION CUP ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAIDPLANET SHAFTS, SAID SUCTION CUP ASSEMBLIES COMPRISING A TUBULAR MEMBEROPEN TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID PLANET SHAFTS AND A SUCTION CUP POSITIONEDAT THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS, MEANS TO ROTATE SAID PLANETSHAFTS WITH RESPECT TO SAID SPIDER WHENEVER THE SPIDER IS ROTATED ABOUTITS AXIS, INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF FIRST SPROCKETS MOUNTED COAXIAL WITHSAID MAIN SHAFT, AND HELD STATIONARY ON SAID MAIN FRAME, THE NUMBER OFSAID FIRST SPROCKETS CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER OF PLANET SHAFTS ONSAID MACHINE, A SEPARATE SECOND SPROCKET DRIVSPROCKETS EACH BEINGALIGNED WITH ONE OF SAID FIRST SPROCKETS, AND A SEPARATE CHAIN DRIVABLYCONNECTING EACH OF THE FIRST SPROCKETS TO ITS ALIGNING SECOND SPROCKET,A SEPARATE CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE INTERIOR OF EACH OF SAID PLANETSHAFTS, A ROTARY VACUUM VALVE COMPRISING A ROTATING MEMBER MOUNTED ONAND ROTATING WITH SAID MAIN SHAFT, SAID CONDUITS EACH BEING OPEN TOSEPARATE PROVIDED PORTS IN SAID ROTARY MEMBER, SAID VALVE FURTHERINCLUDING A STATIONARY MEMBER MOUNTED COAXIALLY WITH SAID ROTATINGMEMBER AND HELD FROM ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID